A demonstration of electro-acoustic music, looping, effects, etc

["Krispen Hartung" <khartung@cableone.net>]

Tomorrow I get the opportunity to demonstrate electro-acoustic music, random computer effect processing and looping in an interactive way, right in front of  the Boise City Hall and hundreds of people milling around. I just found out yesterday, so I have been madly creating a alt version of my max rig and preparing my materials. I will have four instruments on a table, all running into my computer system, which randomly effects the input, loops, etc: Vocal mic, the Joe Rut Machine, Madagascar bamboo harp, and Tongue Drum.

 

People will be able to walk up, play with the instruments, and experience or interact with the randomly generated output. They can put headphones on or listen to the output through the PA. I am creating my documentation right now, which will accompany each instrument. Below is the handout and instructions for one instrument. I also have a handout that defines improvisational music, avant-gard, electro-acoustic, and experimental.

Thanks to all of you for the ideas!

Kris

An interactive electro-acoustic demonstration

Background

 

This demonstration allows you to experience the fundamental principles behind electro-acoustic music.  The main characteristic of most electro-acoustic music is that a performer plays an acoustic instrument and processes or manipulates the sound of the instrument with the computer and a software program.  In some contexts, the processed output of the acoustic instrument is accompanied or mixed with the original sound source; on other contexts, the original acoustic sound source is replaced completely by the processed output.

 

This demonstration features four acoustic instruments as original sound sources: The tongue Drum, your voice, the Madagascar Harp, and a newly invented instrument, the “Joe Rut Machine.”   The sounds of these four instruments are routed into a laptop computer, which is running Cycling ‘74’s software program, MAX/MSP. The software program is running a custom “patch” that randomly chooses various effects and sound manipulators, randomly alters the parameters of those effects, and randomly samples and plays back the final output in real time.  In essence, your spontaneous input is accompanied by the spontaneous input of the computer, resulting in hybrid human-machine performance.

 

Instructions – Madagascar bamboo tube harp

 

1.    Pluck or strum the strings of the harp with your fingers

2.    Listen to how the computer alters the sound of the drum

3.    If possible, try to react to what the computer does, complementing or accompanying the processed output